1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

This is a demand for immediate oversight and appropriations action. Independent governance over U.S. scientific research has collapsed. There is no governing board and no confirmed leadership overseeing nearly $9 billion in research funding. The safeguards Congress created to prevent political control are gone. This is not theoretical. Hiring freezes, canceled experiments, and destabilized research programs are already occurring nationwide. Every week this continues, scientific capacity is permanently lost. Oversight and appropriations committees have the authority—and responsibility—to intervene. Congress must: • Convene immediate public hearings 
• Freeze any politically driven redirection of research funds 
• Restore independent governance and leadership 
• Publish a clear, public timeline for corrective action Failure to act now is a decision with lasting consequences for U.S. competitiveness, security, and innovation.